You are right, if we're going for 1A, it only makes sense for us to go in guns blazing, and make this competition into our show of force. Honestly, coming in here and obliterating all the asses will be great for the intimidation factor when we challenge them in their schools later ("Oh shit, it's
him!"), plus it gives us a hook to get the more impulsive ones to fight us later.
But it still leaves all of our techniques open to analysis by the other competitors now that they know who we are, as opposed to some heads of schools getting some fleeting hints as to who our real teacher was via the Shouwang Claws (which we won't be demonstrating for long
at all since the plan for 1B is to throw the fight in the first couple of rounds; they can have fun tracing us in the middle of a battle-royale). I say we just use our basic fisticuffs and the Dragon Palm move the beggar showed us. Also, everyone is far less likely to pay close attention to us if we're just an unknown upstart than Zhang's apprentice.
If news gets out that the Abbess of Emei is raising her granddaughters on the mountain, it would be a great scandal for the sect; she would be seen as partial and unfit to lead. Besides, even if you didn’t tell her the truth now, she would definitely recognize you during the tournament. You doubt you could hide from the Abbess.
Going into the competition anonymously puts us and Miecao on an equal playing field. We know something dangerous about her, she knows something dangerous about us. However, if we go into the competition as Zhang's apprentice, suddenly that puts her on the defensive and the truth sets us free. She cares about her reputation, but being crafty unorthodox types, we don't care about ours.
While I like the general idea, the Abbess and her sect are a far too valuable as allies and too dangerous as enemies to pull a stunt like this. Mind who she was and still is, she's one tough old lady ("My grandma hits harder than you!" This one actually does.) Plus, this isn't who Jing is, he doesn't fuck over people who confide in him like this, this is Cao'er's grandmother and Yao's pretty-much-but-not-really wife.
And she actually bothered to teach us something, in her own way, so that makes her a Sis as well, so no, I can't sign up for that.
There's also the social aspect: if we go in as Zhang's apprentice, I'm pretty sure everyone will treat us like they treated him at Yuhua hall, i.e. "Stay the fuck away from him or you'll die. Seriously." If we go in as an affable nobody, well, that makes things a lot easier: we can talk, socialize and make all the friends we want and can, friends are good all the time, we can bait some bits and pieces of information from our marks too, get a feel for their character, find out who's easily goaded and who's not.
But I totally agree with you that no one will believe Zhang's apprentice lost like a little punk, the school heads will call our bluff.